Northcote City and Bentleigh Greens will be meeting on Sunday in completely different circumstances. Off the high of the Grand Final, Northcote City hasn’t had the start to the new season they were hoping for.
They lost 3-2 in a well fought match against Melbourne Knights last week that showed it’s still trying to get out of pre-season mode.
Northcote City coach Goran Lozanovski wasn’t pleased with his side’s defensive effort.
“In a coach’s sense it’s probably not the best. You try and keep a clean sheet if you can,” Lozanovski said.
Lozanovski was also quick to highlight the amount of off-season arrivals to the club.
“We’ve got seven new faces and six U20s boys from last year, so we probably haven’t had the time to jell as much as I really wanted to.”
Bentleigh Greens on the other hand haven’t even played this season, as their round one match was washed out by terrible weather. Their match against Ballarat Red Devils will be postponed to Saturday August 30.
Currently leading the NPL ladder is Green Gully, after they thrashed Werribee City 4-0. They dominated with strong possession and showed a little experience goes a long way.
The Greek sponsored clubs faired well in round one, with Oakleigh Cannons overcoming Goulburn Valley Suns FC 0-1 and Port Melbourne Sharks’ match against Dandenong Thunder ended in a balanced 2-2 draw.
Port Melbourne will take on South Melbourne Friday night, while Oakleigh Cannons takes on Heidelberg United. The opening match between South Melbourne and Heidelberg United drew a massive 3,000 strong crowd, with South Melbourne coming out on top with a 0-3 win.
